The Body Mass Index is a way to calculate healthy weight for your height. The water displacement test that checks your buoyancy (i.e. your fat) is a more accurate measure, but few of us have giant pools of water with all the equipment necessary to measure the displacement, so the BMI will have to do.
A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is normal
25 to 29.5 is overweight
over 30 is obese
I'm 5 feet 3.5 inches tall, so my current 176 lbs puts me at 30.7. I am obese by this scale.
I will reach the normal range when I hit 143 lbs. My goal of 140 will put me at 24.4.
Just for interest, to reach the lowest range of normal, I would have to weigh 106 lbs, which I did for about 3 months when I was 16 and so crazy over a boy that I couldn't eat for the butterflies in my stomach if I was going to see him, had seen him, or thought about seeing him! I am pretty sure there is no risk of me falling off the bottom end into the underweight category.
If you want to calculate your own BMI here is an online calculator:
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
#1 The journey begins
It is Oct 30.
And so it begins.
I don't want to be in this place, and I don't really want to be doing this.
But I have to.
The BMI says that I am obese.
I look in the mirror and I see an attractive, curvy, slender girl. She looks healthy and great!
Apparently I have the reverse body image to an anorexic, because when I see photos of myself, I am shocked at how fat the girl captured by the camera is. I know that I don't look anything like that.
Except the girl in the photo is me.
So I am on a journey to make the girl in the photographs match the girl in my head.
I am using Healthpointe 2.0. I have a coach who is there for any advice and encouragement. I understand nutrition and exercise, but apparently I need a professional nag to make sure I do what I know I'm supposed to do, so that is Marie's job. I already hate Marie.
I'm going to need a lot of accountability, so that is why I'm blogging about this experience.
The system so far has cost me $140 in material and Marie. Apparently that is all I have to pay her, however long I need her. She will make more money if I buy her nutrition products, but so far I have my own vitamins and such to use up. I am not good about remembering to take pills and potions. I have a lot to use up. (I wish buying the products gave you all the benefits, without having to remember to do anything else. Buy a gym membership and instantly be buff. Buy your vitamins and instantly be healthy. Reality sucks)
The Healthpointe program is very basic. It seems to follow the standard diabetic exchange. Nothing faddish. Nothing I haven't heard from health professionals for years. That's why Marie likes it. She used to be a nurse, and she knew when she discovered the program that it was a healthy system that was bound to work.
I weigh 174 lbs at the moment. I'm 5'3". This means the BMI says I am obese. I wear a size 14. I am aiming to weigh 140, so I can fluxuate from 135 to 145 and my BMI will be at the high end of normal.
Today I looked through the manual, made a list, and bought the groceries to make the meals on the plan. I also bought 16 little 1/2 c storage containers so I can divide food into portions. I am going to have to make all this ridiculously simple, or I'm not going to be able to follow through.
My grocery list was as follows:
The bill came to $105 and should cover at least a week for my breakfasts, lunches and dinners, and hubby's dinners as well. (He'll prepare his own breakfast and lunch).
Oct 31 I will portion out meals and put things together for my meals. I am particularly concerned about breakfasts and lunches, as I have some issues with mornings, and things need to be ready and easy. I am not thrilled about all the lettuce. I'm not fond of salad.
Monday November 1st is the beginning of the weight loss adventure. I am scheduled to jumpstart with an all protein day. I will don my pedometer, fill my water bottle and set my mind to the new reality.
Wish me luck.
And so it begins.
I don't want to be in this place, and I don't really want to be doing this.
But I have to.
The BMI says that I am obese.
I look in the mirror and I see an attractive, curvy, slender girl. She looks healthy and great!
Apparently I have the reverse body image to an anorexic, because when I see photos of myself, I am shocked at how fat the girl captured by the camera is. I know that I don't look anything like that.
Except the girl in the photo is me.
So I am on a journey to make the girl in the photographs match the girl in my head.
I am using Healthpointe 2.0. I have a coach who is there for any advice and encouragement. I understand nutrition and exercise, but apparently I need a professional nag to make sure I do what I know I'm supposed to do, so that is Marie's job. I already hate Marie.
I'm going to need a lot of accountability, so that is why I'm blogging about this experience.
The system so far has cost me $140 in material and Marie. Apparently that is all I have to pay her, however long I need her. She will make more money if I buy her nutrition products, but so far I have my own vitamins and such to use up. I am not good about remembering to take pills and potions. I have a lot to use up. (I wish buying the products gave you all the benefits, without having to remember to do anything else. Buy a gym membership and instantly be buff. Buy your vitamins and instantly be healthy. Reality sucks)
The Healthpointe program is very basic. It seems to follow the standard diabetic exchange. Nothing faddish. Nothing I haven't heard from health professionals for years. That's why Marie likes it. She used to be a nurse, and she knew when she discovered the program that it was a healthy system that was bound to work.
I weigh 174 lbs at the moment. I'm 5'3". This means the BMI says I am obese. I wear a size 14. I am aiming to weigh 140, so I can fluxuate from 135 to 145 and my BMI will be at the high end of normal.
Today I looked through the manual, made a list, and bought the groceries to make the meals on the plan. I also bought 16 little 1/2 c storage containers so I can divide food into portions. I am going to have to make all this ridiculously simple, or I'm not going to be able to follow through.
My grocery list was as follows:
- unsweetened apple sauce
- pineapple chunks
- 2 cans of tuna in water
- 2 cans of diced tomato
- dozen eggs
- frozen peas
- sprouted grain whole wheat bread with sunflower seeds
- frozen filets 2 each of cod, tilapia and haddock (I don't like fish. This is a sacrifice)
- 3 kgs of frozen chicken breasts (I expect to eat a lot of chicken breast)
- 2 kgs of lean ground beef
- cantaloupe
- green pepper
- red pepper
- onion
- broccoli
- 2 bunches of Romaine lettuce
- acorn squash
- carrots
- mini cucumbers
- mandarin oranges
The bill came to $105 and should cover at least a week for my breakfasts, lunches and dinners, and hubby's dinners as well. (He'll prepare his own breakfast and lunch).
Oct 31 I will portion out meals and put things together for my meals. I am particularly concerned about breakfasts and lunches, as I have some issues with mornings, and things need to be ready and easy. I am not thrilled about all the lettuce. I'm not fond of salad.
Monday November 1st is the beginning of the weight loss adventure. I am scheduled to jumpstart with an all protein day. I will don my pedometer, fill my water bottle and set my mind to the new reality.
Wish me luck.
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